Groz’s Week 6 Seahawks Memory: Looking back on 1st win in team history

Oct 14, 2020, 10:45 AM

The Seahawks won their first game in franchise history Week 6 of 1976. (Getty)

(Getty)

BY DAVE GROSBY

Seattle Sports Host Emeritus

A look back at a memorable Week 6 in Seahawks history: “The First W.”

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1976 was the year the NFL arrived in Seattle and Tampa Bay with the expansion. The Seahawks actually started in the NFC for that first year while the Bucs were in the AFC and the two teams were set to meet in Week 6 in Tampa. They called it the “Expansion Bowl.”

The NFL had made it especially tough to compete, so it was no big surprise that both teams had started 0-5, though the Seahawks appeared to be the better club. Jack Patera’s team took chances.

The week before, Seattle had taken a 13-point third quarter lead over the Green Bay Packers before falling short by a touchdown. Seattle had lost their opener by only six points and trailed Dallas in another game by just one score entering the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay hadn’t really been too competitive at all being, shut out three times in five games while being outscored 120-26.

It was a hot, miserable day, and the game wasn’t pretty. The Seahawks took a 13-3 lead late in the third quarter and then Tampa managed to score a rare touchdown on a fluke play. Later, the Bucs and quarterback Steve Spurrier drove to the Seattle 18-yard line where veteran linebacker Mike Curtis blocked a 35-yard field goal as time ran out on the Expansion Bowl and the Seahawks won their first game 13-10.

I said the game wasn’t pretty. Well, it was downright ugly with 39 penalties called, 35 accepted 2 shy off the all-time record. 3 weeks later Seattle would win their first home game 30-13 over Atlanta while the Bucs lost 26 in a row before finally getting a win late in their second season